Pop stars everyone was talking about in 2011

KISS ME!!!

Photograph by: Getty Images, Getty Images

We’re not saying they’re the best – or even the worst – but for whatever reason we couldn’t get enough of these pop stars in 2011. We’re looking back at the highlights, the lowlights – and that time they did the running-man on national TV.

Rihanna

The Songs You Couldn’t Escape: “We Found Love,” “S&M”

2011 Lowlight: Over the last 12 months the Barbadian pop-star found controversy in the form of lawsuits and even a banned video (about that: the sex, drugs and DIY tattoo art of “We Found Love” proved too racy for French daytime TV). But it’s a fall 2011 health scare — more of a personal lowlight than a career one — that we’ll single out here. Oct. 31, Rihanna Tweeted a photo of her arm hooked up to an IV as a way of alerting fans she was hospitalized in Sweden. After months of world-touring, the singer was forced to a cancel a show in the country due to flu and exhaustion. Soon after, however, Rihanna and her bejewelled short-shorts were back on the road.

2011 Highlight: Entering 2011 with a still-fresh album, Loud, and closing it with yet another (Talk That Talk), the music of the “Rihanna Navy” dominated all year ‘round. Whether we’re talking her tireless world tour or the six released-in-’11 singles RiRi had on the charts (not including her collabs with other pop kings and queens, or the 2010 releases that stayed glued in your brain — and on radio playlists — for much of ‘11), Rihanna reigned.

Other Items For the Scrapbook:

-Crowned Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive.

-Featured on hits by Kanye West (“All of the Lights”), Nicki Minaj (“Fly”), Drake (“Take Care”), Coldplay (“Princess of China”).

-Scored a lucrative gig modelling underpants for Armani.

Lady Gaga

The Songs You Couldn’t Escape: “Born This Way,” “Edge of Glory”

2011 Lowlight: Despite its feel-good message of empowerment-lite, “Born This Way” caused trouble as soon as it was birthed, kicking and fist-pumping onto the interwebs. The song was widely derided as a rip-off of Madonna’s 1989 hit “Express Yourself.” That said, it was still the fastest-selling song in iTunes history (one million copies were sold in five days) and was a No. 1 in the U.S., Canada, Australia and most everywhere Gaga is ubiquitous.

2011 Highlight: As Gaga rolled her Born This Way hype-machine through the first half of 2011 — and incidentally, we can only assume said hype-machine was some sort of half-pop star/half-Harley hybrid — it was impossible to escape mentions of her in the media. Forbes magazine basically confirmed that observation in May, when they named the Mother Monster the No. 1 star on their annual Celebrity 100 list. The list ranks the most powerful people in entertainment, and Gaga unseated none other than Oprah Winfrey, the (former) Queen of all Media who has only been booted from No. 1 three times in the last seven years.

Other Items For the Scrapbook:

-Arrived at Grammy Awards inside a translucent alien “egg,” no doubt the envy of every starlet wearing uncomfortable heels.

-Released HBO concert special in May, which went on to be nominated for five Emmys.

-Appeared in drag as alter-ego Jo Calderone during September’s MTV VMAs. Reviews were mixed, but most everyone agreed she looked like a young Ralph Macchio.

-Starred in her very-own holiday special in November. Choreographed routines to “Bad Romance” during Thanksgiving dinner expected to replace stuffing as favourite holiday tradition.

-Launched anti-bullying organization, The Born This Way Foundation, with her mother in November.

-Made a little girl from Winnipeg into an overnight sensation after calling attention to 10-year-old Maria Aragon’s YouTube cover of “Born This Way.” Aragon went on to appear with Gaga in concert, and played the song with her during a March 3 concert in Toronto.

Justin Bieber

The Songs You Couldn’t Escape: “Never Say Never,” “Mistletoe”

2011 Lowlight: Two words: Paternity. Test. In the fall, a 20-year-old fan named Mariah Yeater claimed she was responsible for taking 17-year-old Bieber’s virginity; they allegedly shared a few seconds of passion, and nine months later she was left with a son that would become the butt of endless “Baby”-related song parodies. On national TV, Bieber claimed that he’d never met the woman, and he later submitted to DNA testing to quell the rumours and accusations. As of writing, the results of that test have yet to go public. Still, we’re thankful Team Bieber never seemed to take an offer from The Maury Povich Show too seriously.

2011 Highlight: It’s a 3-D concert movie about a tween idol, a biopic with a 16-year-old subject — and its title sounds like a Nickelodeon parody of a Bond flick. And yet, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never managed to melt the hearts of many a non-Belieber — even if many critics, including those at New York Magazine, saw through it as a “sensationally engineered promo film.” Actress Evan Rachel Wood was probably one of the most vocal Bieber-converts. YouTube video of the Ides of March star doing Bieber songs at karaoke began circulating in mid-2011. She explained her Bieber fandom during an episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, “I gotta be honest, I went to see Never Say Never as a joke; I went to go make fun of it.” After watching it, however, she said she was crying and screaming, “That was the greatest movie I’ve ever seen!” She continued: “Being a Justin Bieber fan was not in the cards.”

Other Items For the Scrapbook:

-Appeared in two episodes of CSI, only to meet a grisly end that should not be viewed by faint-of-heart Beliebers.

-Said farewell to his signature mop-top, Tweeting pictures of his new, pixie-ish coif, a style which would also become known as “The Bieber.”

-Released a Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe. Featuring collaborations with Boyz II Men, Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey, Bieber made it clear he loves the ‘90s just as much as bombarding us with his brand.

Nicki Minaj

The Songs You Couldn’t Escape: “Super Bass,” “Moment 4 Life”

2011 Lowlight: After a summer concert in Jamaica, Minaj was fined by authorities for performing a set “peppered with expletives accentuated by sexually suggestive dance moves.” So, basically, for being herself. Apparently authorities never bothered to pre-screen Pink Friday – nor did they ever catch her Good Morning America nip-slip. In any case, the fine amounted to roughly $11.70 US according to reports, and Minaj gleefully continued to shine on like the crazy, potty-mouthed diamond she is. No harm done.

2011 Highlight: It’s everyone and Selena Gomez’s favourite song, it’s made two little tutu-wearing tots into YouTube stars — and its bubblegum chorus and even chewier million-words-a-second verses led to it going triple-platinum in the U.S. To think “Super Bass” might not have developed into the radio hit it boom-ba-boom-boom became had it not been for a shout-out from a very famous fan. During a radio interview in February, Taylor Swift admitted her love for the Pink Friday album cut, and offered a spontaneous, on-air cover of the song as proof. That moment, obvs, went viral. Months later, “Super Bass” was released as a single, and when the track began its ascent on the chart, Minaj said in interviews that she thanked Swift for the boost — even mentioning Swift in her American Music Awards acceptance speech in November.

Other Items For the Scrapbook:

-Minaj did “The Creep” with The Lonely Island — and Hairspray director John Waters! — on SNL.

-Toured with Britney Spears and, arguably, upstaged the lip-synching Brit-Brit at every stop.

-Posed in a refrigerator for a Glamour magazine fashion spread, thus inspiring the “Fridging” trend — the only thing lamer than planking.

Adele

The Songs You Couldn’t Escape: “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You”

2011 Lowlight: Surgery to remove a benign polyp on her vocal cords sent the singer into hospital in November — leading to a few cancelled tour dates, and moreover, much concern for the breakout star of the year. And though the Voice of 2011 is closing the year in quiet recovery, the procedure was reportedly a success and Adele has blogged that she’s feeling fine and that the operation will have her sounding even better than before.

2011 Highlight: 21. Released in January (February in North America), the introspective torch songs on Adele’s sophomore album — a collection described as a “a breakup requiem” by Billboard — was the best-selling album on iTunes, the top Billboard album of the year, and a just-plain favourite among both tastemakers and everyone else.

Other Items For the Scrapbook:

-Won three American Music Awards, including Favourite Pop-Rock Female Artist and Favourite Pop/Rock Album.

-Performed heart-wrenching ballad “Someone Like You” at the 2011 BRIT Awards thus beginning what became a nine-month-long, worldwide case of the weepies. This phenomenon was eventually parodied — brilliantly — by Saturday Night Live.

-21 remained at No. 1 on the UK albums chart for 11 weeks, breaking the record held by a female solo artist.

-Released concert DVD Live at the Royal Albert Hall. It debuted at No. 1 in the U.S.

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Katy Perry

The Songs You Couldn’t Escape: “E.T.,” “Last Friday Night”

2011 Lowlight: With a world tour comes an increased chance The Smoking Gun will get their mitts on your tour rider. As such, Perry’s own list of backstage requests leaked in May. Her more memorable demands pertained to dressing room floral arrangements (“ABSOLUTELY NO CARNATIONS”) and chauffeur etiquette (drivers are not to speak to Ms. Perry, nor look at her). She also ordered that a block of tickets be kept aside for “resellers.” All told, they hardly came off like the requests made by a gal who was formerly “One of the Boys.”

2011 Highlight: Aug. 17, 2011, when “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Perry’s nerd-makeover promo stunt paid off in broken records. “Last Friday Night” became the fifth Teenage Dream track to hit No. 1 — thus tying her with Michael Jackson’s 1987 record of five No. 1 singles off one album. Moreover, she became the first female artist to achieve the feat.

Other Items For the Scrapbook:

-Although she was ultimately shut out, Perry was nominated for four Grammys in 2011, including Album of the Year (Teenage Dream).

-Made her film debut, of sorts, in The Smurfs. Perry voiced Smurfette in the animated feature.

-Performed 124 shows around the world as part of the California Dreams Tour.

-Became the first pop star in VMAs history to be nominated for four different videos in a single year.

Taylor Swift

The Songs You Couldn’t Escape: “Mean,” “Sparks Fly”

2011 Lowlight: While other starlets are desperate to emulate Marilyn Monroe in any way possible, Swift’s homage to the Seven Year Itch was a total accident. During a concert in St. Louis, Swift’s skirt unexpectedly flew up, giving everyone in the crowd (with a camera) a peek. Thankfully, Swift was wearing underpants — ones providing more coverage than anything Lady Gaga wears while grocery shopping — and, ever the trooper, she carried on with the show. Well played.

2011 Highlight: Like many years before, Taylor Swift won nearly every single award available to a country-pop crossover phenom. This is, naturally, a metric buttload of trophies. Among her many new accolades, Swift took home hardware from the People’s Choice Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, the American Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, the CMT Music Awards, the Teen Choice Awards — and she was even named Billboard’s Woman of the Year. (That list, incidentally, isn’t even her entire haul.) In photographs, she appeared equally gobsmacked to receive each one).

Other Items For the Scrapbook:

-Her nine-month World tour grossed approximately $107 million US.

-At various stops on her world tour, Swift broke out covers of songs made famous by hometown talent — and sometimes surprised the audience with an appearance by the original artist. Justin Bieber, Flo Rida — and that dude from the Goo Goo Dolls — were among the very special guests.

-Re-created Thelma and Louise with a little help from Shania Twain at June’s CMT Awards.

-Released her very-own celebrity fragrance, Wonderstruck.

-Bought a kitten, which has gone on to melt the hearts of her millions of Twitter followers.

Drake

The Songs You Couldn’t Escape: “Headlines,” “Take Care”

2011 Lowlight: A lowlight? That’s a tough one, unless you consider the pushed up release date for Drake’s sophomore effort Take Care. Initially meant to debut Oct. 24 — Drake’s birthday — its official release was bumped to Nov. 15 because of a “roadblock” clearing samples. And even when the record leaked prematurely, Drake didn’t seem too busted up over it, Tweeting “Listen, enjoy it, buy it if you like it ... and take care until next time.” Gee, what a nice guy. We almost feel bad for making all those cracks about his sweaters. Almost.

2011 Highlight: It didn’t matter whether you were the first person to download the Comeback Season mixtape or if you still thought of him as “Wheelchair Jimmy.” Anyone could’ve appreciated Drake’s turn as Juno Awards host this March in Toronto. Funny and suave, he was a great choice. The fact he’s also the host city’s most celebrated export was simply a bonus.

Other Items For the Scrapbook:

-Headlined his second annual OVO Festival at Toronto’s Molson Amphitheatre. Stevie Wonder, Lil Wayne and Nas all took the stage, along with The Weeknd, Rick Ross and J. Cole.

-Featured as the Prince Charming to Nicki Minaj’s Cinderella in the “Moment 4 Life” video

-Wore so many awesome sweaters that we started this blog: http://takecaresweaters.tumblr.com/

LMFAO

The Songs You Couldn’t Escape: “Party-Rock Anthem,” “Sexy and I Know It”

2011 Lowlight: Humping the sky in a speedo. (Video for “Sexy and I Know It.”)

2011 Highlight: Humping the sky in a speedo — while performing “Sexy and I Know It” in the company of David Hasselhoff, Justin Bieber and more at the American Music Awards. Whether we’re talking their Zubaz-inspired wardrobe or the content of their party-rocking hit songs, everything about LMFAO is goofy — with one exception. “Party Rock Anthem” didn’t become the song of the summer and one of the most downloaded songs on iTunes this year (No. 1 in the UK and Australia) without reason. Redfoo and Skyblu apparently know what the people want, and all they’re looking for is something to “Shuffle” and/or “Wiggle” to.

Other Items For the Scrapbook:

-Inspired a Halloween light show featuring “Party Rock Anthem.” Video of the zazzed-out light display went viral and the duo even referenced the house in their stage set at the AMAs.

-Nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the Grammys and hosted the pre-broadcast awards ceremony.

-Toured as tirelessly as they “partied,” including their first ever tour of Asia and a summer trek through North America with sister from another mister Ke$ha.

-LMFAO’s Redfoo visited Mad Money to discuss his investments with host Jim Cramer. A former day trader, Redfoo revealed two things: he’s been following the stock market since childhood, and he even wears neon, animal-print trousers when appearing on CNBC.

Bruno Mars

The Songs You Couldn’t Escape: “Lighters,” “It Will Rain”

2011 Lowlight: Answering to cocaine possession charges from late 2010, Mars pleaded guilty in February and was sentenced to probation, a $2,000 US fine and 200 hours community service. Also ordered to undergo drug counselling, the hitmaker reportedly pleaded guilty as part of a deal with prosecutors. In exchange, his felony conviction stands a chance of being wiped from his record so long as he stays out of trouble for a year. Mars commented on the arrest in a March interview with GQ: “I’m not gonna preach that I’m a role model. I’m a f*cking musician! But I’ve learned people are watching, so don’t do nothing stupid.”

2011 Highlight: 2011 found Bruno Mars working with the most unlikely collaborators. Eminem, Royce da 5’9” and Mars made a hit out of the saccharine “Lighters,” and the crooner joined up with Lil Wayne for “Mirrors.” Our favourite cross-genre collaboration also has a certain urban flavour. Sesame Street is street to us, anyway — and Mars got to share the screen with some of the show’s best-loved monsters including Elmo, Cookie Monster and Telly for “Don’t Give Up,” a video segment that aired on the long-running kids’ show.

Other Items For the Scrapbook:

-Won his first Grammy for Best male Pop Vocal Performance.

-Named one of Billboard’s Top 10 Artists of 2011.

-Even though the bulk of Mars’ Doo-Wops & Hooligans singles were released in 2010, the same year that record arrived, the likes of “Grenade” and “Just the Way You Are” were still everywhere in 2011 (“Grenade” was in the Top 10 of iTunes best-selling songs of the year) — which pop-watchers got a reminder of (as though they needed one) when the nominations for next year’s Grammy Awards were announced in late November. Mars scored six nods, including nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

KISS ME!!!

Photograph by: Getty Images, Getty Images

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